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Background: There is biomechanical evidence that bone density predicts the mechanical failure of implants. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the influence of local bone mineral density on the rate of mechanical failure after locking plate fixation of proximal humeral fractures., Methods: We enrolled 150 patients who were from fifty to ninety years old with a closed, displaced proximal humeral fracture fixed with use of a locking plate from July 2007 to April 2010. There were 118 women and thirty-two men who had a mean age of sixty-nine years. Preoperative computed tomography (CT) scans were done to assess bone mineral density of the contralateral humerus, and dual x-ray absorptiometry of the distal end of the radius of the unaffected arm was conducted within the first six weeks postoperatively. At follow-up evaluations at six weeks, three months, and one year postoperatively, pain, shoulder mobility, strength, and multiple functional and quality-of-life outcome measures (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand [DASH] questionnaire; Shoulder Pain and Disability Index [SPADI]; Constant score; and EuroQuol-5D [EQ-5D]) were done and standard radiographs were made. We defined mechanical failure as all complications related to bone quality experienced within one year., Results: After locking plate fixation, fifty-three (35%) of 150 patients had mechanical failure; loss of reduction and secondary screw loosening with perforation were common. CT assessments of local bone mineral density showed no difference between patients with and without mechanical failure (89.82 versus 91.51 mg/cm 3 , respectively; p = 0.670). One-year DASH, SPADI, and Constant scores were significantly better for patients without mechanical failure (p ≤ 0.05)., Conclusions: We did not find evidence of an association between bone mineral density and the rate of mechanical failures, which may suggest that patients with normal bone mineral density are less prone to sustain a proximal humeral fracture. Future studies should target other discriminating factors between patients with and without mechanical failure., Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence., (Copyright © 2014 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.)

Background: Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) applied on an absorbable collagen sponge improves open tibial fracture-healing as an adjunct to unreamed intramedullary nail fixation. We evaluated rhBMP-2 and a new, injectable calcium phosphate matrix (CPM) formulation in acute closed tibial diaphyseal fractures treated with reamed intramedullary nail fixation., Methods: Patients were randomized (1:2:2:1) to receive standard of care, which consisted of definitive fracture fixation within seventy-two hours of injury with a locked intramedullary nail after reaming; standard of care and injection with 1.0 mg/mL of rhBMP-2/CPM; standard of care and injection with 2.0 mg/mL of rhBMP-2/CPM; or standard of care and injection with buffer/CPM, to evaluate the activity of the CPM delivery matrix and provide for sponsor and investigator blinding. The co-primary end points of the study were the effects of rhBMP-2/CPM on the time to fracture union (based on blinded assessment of radiographs) and the time to return to normal function (based on blinded assessment of the time to full weight-bearing without pain at the fracture site) compared with standard of care alone., Results: Three hundred and sixty-nine patients were randomized and included in the intent-to-treat population. This study was terminated after an interim analysis (180 patients with six months of follow-up) revealed no shortening in the time to fracture union in the active treatment arms compared with the standard of care control (the SOC group). In the final primary analysis, the median time to radiographic fracture union was not significantly different for the SOC (13.1 weeks), 1.0-mg/mL rhBMP-2/CPM (13.0 weeks), 2.0-mg/mL rhBMP-2/CPM (15.9 weeks), or buffer/CPM (15.4 weeks) treatment groups. The median time to pain-free full weight-bearing was also not significantly different among the SOC (13.4 weeks), 1.0-mg/mL rhBMP-2/CPM (13.4 weeks), 2.0-mg/mL rhBMP-2/CPM (14.3 weeks), and buffer/CPM (16.4 weeks) treatment groups., Conclusions: In patients with closed tibial fractures treated with reamed intramedullary nailing, the time to fracture union and pain-free full weight-bearing were not significantly reduced by rhBMP-2/CPM compared with standard of care alone. 24306696

Background: Traditionally, distal radial fractures with marked displacement and angulation have been treated with closed or open reduction techniques. Reduction maneuvers generally require analgesia and sedation, which increase hospital time, cost, patient risk, and the surgeon's time. In our study, a treatment protocol for pediatric distal radial fractures was used in which the fracture was left shortened in an overriding position and a cast was applied without an attempt at anatomic fracture reduction., Methods: Consecutive patients three to ten years of age presenting between 2004 and 2009 with a closed overriding fracture of the distal radial metaphysis were followed prospectively. Our protocol consisted of no analgesia, no sedation, and a short arm fiberglass cast gently molded to correct only angulation. Patients were followed for at least one year. All parents or guardians were given a questionnaire assessing their satisfaction with the treatment. Financial analysis was performed with use of Current Procedural Terminology codes and the average total cost of care., Results: Fifty-one children with an average age of 6.9 years were included in the study. Initial radial shortening averaged 5.0 mm. Initial sagittal and coronal angulation averaged 4.0° and 3.2°, respectively. The average duration of casting was forty-two days. Residual sagittal and coronal angulation at the time of final follow-up averaged 2.2° and 0.8°, respectively. All fifty-one patients achieved clinical and radiographic union with a full range of wrist motion. All parents and guardians answered the questionnaire and were satisfied with the treatment. Cost analysis demonstrated that closed reduction with the patient under conscious sedation or general anesthesia is nearly five to six times more expensive than the treatment used in this study. Adding percutaneous pin fixation increases costs nearly ninefold., Conclusions: This treatment protocol presents an alternative approach to overriding distal radial fractures in children and provides the orthopaedic surgeon a simple, effective, and cost and time-efficient method of treatment.

Background: The outcome of operatively treated capitellar fractures has not been reported frequently. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the clinical, radiographic, and functional outcomes following open reduction and internal fixation of capitellar fractures that were treated with a uniform surgical approach in order to further define the impact on the outcome of fracture type and concomitant lateral column osseous and/or ligamentous injuries., Methods: A retrospective evaluation of the upper extremity database at our institution identified sixteen skeletally mature patients (mean age, 40 +/- 17 years) with a closed capitellar fracture. In all cases, an extensile lateral exposure and articular fixation with buried cannulated variable-pitch headless compression screws was performed at a mean of ten days after the injury. Clinical, radiographic, and elbow-specific outcomes, including the Mayo Elbow Performance Index, were evaluated at a mean of 27 +/- 19 months postoperatively., Results: Six Type-I, two Type-III, and eight Type-IV fractures were identified with use of the Bryan and Morrey classification system. Four of five ipsilateral radial head fractures occurred in association with a Type-IV fracture. The lateral collateral ligament was intact in fifteen of the sixteen elbows. Metaphyseal comminution was observed in association with five fractures (including four Type-IV fractures and one Type-III fracture). Supplemental mini-fragment screws were used for four of eight Type-IV fractures and one of two Type-III fractures. All fractures healed, and no elbow had instability or weakness. Overall, the mean ulnohumeral motion was 123 degrees (range, 70 degrees to 150 degrees ). Fourteen of the sixteen patients achieved a functional arc of elbow motion, and all patients had full forearm rotation. The mean Mayo Elbow Performance Index score was 92 +/- 10 points, with nine excellent results, six good results, and one fair result. Patients with a Type-IV fracture had a greater magnitude of flexion contracture (p = 0.04), reduced terminal flexion (p = 0.02), and a reduced net ulnohumeral arc (p = 0.01). An ipsilateral radial head fracture did not appear to affect ulnohumeral motion or the functional outcome., Conclusions: Despite the presence of greater flexion contractures at the time of follow-up in elbows with Type-IV fractures or fractures with an ipsilateral radial head fracture, good to excellent outcomes with functional ulnohumeral motion can be achieved following internal fixation of these complex fractures. Type-IV injuries may be more common than previously thought; such fractures often are associated with metaphyseal comminution or a radial head fracture and may require supplemental fixation.

Background: Recent studies have shown a high prevalence of symptomatic malunion and nonunion after nonoperative treatment of displaced midshaft clavicular fractures. We sought to compare patient-oriented outcome and complication rates following nonoperative treatment and those after plate fixation of displaced midshaft clavicular fractures., Methods: In a multicenter, prospective clinical trial, 132 patients with a displaced midshaft fracture of the clavicle were randomized (by sealed envelope) to either operative treatment with plate fixation (sixty-seven patients) or nonoperative treatment with a sling (sixty-five patients). Outcome analysis included standard clinical follow-up and the Constant shoulder score, the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score, and plain radiographs. One hundred and eleven patients (sixty-two managed operatively and forty-nine managed nonoperatively) completed one year of follow-up. There were no differences between the two groups with respect to patient demographics, mechanism of injury, associated injuries, Injury Severity Score, or fracture pattern., Results: Constant shoulder scores and DASH scores were significantly improved in the operative fixation group at all time-points (p = 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively). The mean time to radiographic union was 28.4 weeks in the non-operative group compared with 16.4 weeks in the operative group (p = 0.001). There were two nonunions in the operative group compared with seven in the nonoperative group (p = 0.042). Symptomatic malunion developed in nine patients in the nonoperative group and in none in the operative group (p = 0.001). Most complications in the operative group were hardware-related (five patients had local irritation and/or prominence of the hardware, three had a wound infection, and one had mechanical failure). At one year after the injury, the patients in the operative group were more likely to be satisfied with the appearance of the shoulder (p = 0.001) and with the shoulder in general (p = 0.002) than were those in the nonoperative group., Conclusions: Operative fixation of a displaced fracture of the clavicular shaft results in improved functional outcome and a lower rate of malunion and nonunion compared with nonoperative treatment at one year of follow-up. Hardware removal remains the most common reason for repeat intervention in the operative group. This study supports primary plate fixation of completely displaced midshaft clavicular fractures in active adult patients.

Background: Various methods of cast immobilization have been recommended for the treatment of distal forearm fractures in children. The purpose of this study was to determine if short arm casts are as effective as long arm casts in the treatment of displaced fractures of the distal third of the forearm in these patients., Methods: In a prospective randomized trial, consecutive patients, four years of age or older, who presented to The Women's and Children's Hospital of Buffalo with a displaced fracture of the distal third of the forearm were randomized to treatment with a short or long arm plaster cast. Radiographs were analyzed for displacement, angulation, and deviation at the time of injury, after reduction, and at subsequent follow-up intervals. The cast index at the fracture level, used to assess the quality of the cast molding, was determined from the postreduction radiographs. Changes between postreduction and final values for displacement, angulation, and deviation; the ranges of motion of both wrists and elbows; the need for physical therapy; and responses to a questionnaire used to evaluate the effects of the cast on activities of daily living were compared between the groups., Results: One hundred and thirteen of the 151 patients who were assessed for eligibility were analyzed. The follow-up rate was 92%, and the average duration of follow-up was eight months. Sixty long arm casts and fifty-three short arm casts were used. There were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to patient demographics, initial fracture characteristics, mechanism of injury, cast index, or the change in displacement, angulation, or deviation during treatment. The fractures that lost reduction in the cast had significantly higher cast indices, indicating poor cast-molding. A comparison of partially and completely displaced fractures revealed no difference between the groups with regard to the change between the postreduction and final amount of displacement. Patients treated with a short arm cast missed fewer school days and were less likely to require assistance with various activities of daily living., Conclusions: A well-molded short arm cast can be used as effectively as a long arm cast to treat fractures of the distal third of the forearm in children four years of age and older, and they interfere less with daily activities.

Background: Closed fractures of the distal third of the forearm are the most common fractures of childhood, but the method of immobilization after closed reduction is controversial. This study was undertaken to determine whether below-the-elbow casts are as effective as above-the-elbow casts in immobilizing these types of fractures and to identify patient and treatment considerations that are related to loss of reduction., Methods: We designed a blinded, randomized, controlled trial. The criteria for reduction and remanipulation were set a priori. The primary outcome measure was fracture immobilization as reflected by reangulation in the cast and by the need for remanipulation. Exploratory analysis with use of stepwise logistic regression analysis was undertaken to search for factors predictive of loss of reduction., Results: A total of 102 children were enrolled in the study and were allocated to two groups: the above-the-elbow cast group (fifty-six children) and the below-the-elbow cast group (forty-six children). The mean age was 8.6 years, and sixty-one patients were boys. The groups did not differ with respect to the initial fracture angulation, postreduction angulation, reangulation during cast immobilization, and angulation of the fracture at the time of cast removal. In the above-the-elbow cast group, twenty-three (42%) of fifty-five children with adequate radiographs met the criteria for remanipulation compared with fourteen (31%) of forty-five children with adequate radiographs in the below-the-elbow cast group (p = 0.27); only four of these thirty-seven children actually underwent remanipulation. Children with fractures of both the radius and ulna (p = 0.01) and those with residual angulation after reduction (p = 0.0001) were at the highest risk of meeting the criteria for remanipulation. The rates of complications related to the cast did not differ between the groups., Conclusions: Below-the-elbow casts perform as well as above-the-elbow casts in maintaining reduction of fractures in the distal third of the forearm in children, and the complication rates are similar. Factors that are associated with a higher risk of loss of reduction include combined radial and ulnar fractures and residual angulation of the fracture after the initial reduction.

Background: Operative treatment of tibial fractures in children requires implants that do not violate open physes while maintaining tibial length and alignment. Both elastic stable intramedullary nails and external fixation can be utilized. We retrospectively reviewed our experience with these two techniques to determine if one is superior to the other., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the operative records and trauma registries of three institutions within our hospital system and identified thirty-five consecutive patients with open physes who had undergone operative treatment of a tibial fracture between April 1997 and June 2004. Four patients were excluded because they had been managed with locked intramedullary nails or with pins and plaster. Of the thirty-one remaining patients, sixteen had been managed with elastic stable intramedullary nails and fifteen had been managed with unilateral external fixation. The clinical and radiographic outcomes were compared. The functional outcomes were compared with use of the Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument. Complications related to treatment, such as malunion, delayed union, nonunion, infection, and the need for subsequent surgical treatment also were compared., Results: Thirty-one patients with thirty-one operatively treated tibial fractures were available for evaluation. Fifteen patients had been managed with external fixation. Seven of these patients had a closed fracture, and eight had an open fracture. There were seven healing complications in this group, including two delayed unions, three nonunions, and two malunions. Sixteen patients had been managed with elastic stable intramedullary nailing. Eleven patients had a closed fracture, and five had an open fracture. The mean time to union for the intramedullary nailing group (seven weeks) was significantly shorter than that for the external fixation group (eighteen weeks) (p < 0.01). The functional outcomes for the intramedullary nailing group were significantly better than those for the external fixation group in the categories of pain, happiness, sports, and global function (the mean of the mean scores of the first four categories) (p < 0.01 for these comparisons)., Conclusions: When surgical stabilization of tibial fractures in children is indicated, we believe that the preferred method of fixation is with elastic stable intramedullary nailing.

Background: Controversy continues with regard to the optimal postoperative care after open reduction and internal fixation of an ankle fracture. The hypothesis of this study was that postoperative treatment of an ankle fracture with a brace that allows active and passive range-of-motion exercises would improve the functional recovery of patients compared with that after conventional treatment with a cast. Thus, the purpose of this prospective, randomized study was to compare the long-term subjective, objective, and functional outcome after conventional treatment with a cast and that after use of functional bracing in the first six weeks following internal fixation of an ankle fracture., Methods: One hundred patients with an unstable and/or displaced Weber type-A or B ankle fracture were treated operatively and then were randomly allocated to two groups: immobilization in a below-the-knee cast (fifty patients) or early mobilization in a functional ankle brace (fifty patients) for the first six postoperative weeks. The follow-up examinations, which consisted of subjective and objective (clinical, radiographic, and functional) evaluations, were performed at two, six, twelve, and fifty-two weeks and at two years postoperatively., Results: There were no perioperative complications in either study group, but eight patients who were managed with a cast and thirty-three patients who were managed with a brace had postoperative complications, which were mainly related to wound-healing. Two patients in the group treated with a cast had deep-vein thrombosis. All fractures healed well in both groups. The difference between the two groups with respect to the complication rate was significant (p = 0.0005). No significant differences between the study groups were observed in the final subjective or objective (clinical) evaluation. At the two-year follow-up examination, the average score (and standard deviation) according to the ankle-rating scale of Kaikkonen et al. was 85 +/- 9 points for the group treated with a cast and 83 +/- 10 points for the group treated with a brace, and the average ankle score according to the system of Olerud and Molander was 87 +/- 8 points and 87 +/- 9 points, respectively., Conclusions: The long-term functional outcome after postoperative treatment of an ankle fracture with a cast and that after use of a functional brace are similar. Although early mobilization with use of a functional ankle brace may have some theoretical beneficial effects, the risk of postoperative wound complications associated with this treatment approach is considerably increased compared with that after conventional cast treatment. Thus, the postoperative protocol of treatment with a functional brace requires refinement before it can be generally advocated for use after operative treatment of an ankle fracture.

Background: Previous studies involving axially loaded ankle cadaver specimens undergoing a passive range of motion after fracture have demonstrated rotatory instability patterns consisting of excessive external rotation during plantar flexion. The present study was designed to expand these studies by using a model in which ankle motion is controlled by physiologically accurate motor forces generated through phasic force-couples attached to the muscle-tendon units., Methods: Eight right unembalmed cadaver feet were tested in a dynamic gait simulator that reproduces the sagittal kinematics of the tibia while applying physiological muscle forces to the tendons of the major extrinsic muscles of the foot. Six-degrees-of-freedom kinematics of the tibia and talus were measured with use of a VICON motion-analysis system. The experimental conditions included all combinations of lateral and medial injury to reproduce the clinical classifications of ankle fracture. Statistical analysis was performed with repeated-measures analyses of variance., Results: The talus of the intact ankles demonstrated coupled external rotation and inversion relative to the tibia as the ankle plantar flexed. Osteotomy of the fibula, simulating a lateral ankle fracture, slightly but significantly increased external rotation and inversion of the talus (p < 0.001), whereas disruption of either the superficial or the deep deltoid ligament increased talar eversion (p < 0.003) and disruption of the deep deltoid ligament increased internal rotation (p < 0.0001). The aberrant motions were corrected by repair of the injured structure., Conclusions: The predominant coupled rotation of the talus is external rotation associated with plantar flexion. Following progressive ankle destabilization, talar external rotation and inversion increased., Clinical Relevance: The clinical decision-making process regarding the treatment of ankle fractures centers on determination of whether the injury is expected to result in abnormal motion, which is thought to predispose to the development of arthritis. The present study demonstrated a remarkable degree of ankle stability during stance phase even when there was severe disruption of medial and lateral structures. This finding suggests that a main determinant of clinical outcome after ankle fracture may be ankle motion during swing phase, when ankle stability is not augmented by the combination of axial loading and active motor control of motion. If swing-phase motion is abnormal, then the ankle may be in a vulnerable position at the point of heel-strike.

Background: Open reduction and internal fixation is the treatment of choice for displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures at many orthopaedic trauma centers. The purpose of this study was to determine whether open reduction and internal fixation of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures results in better general and disease-specific health outcomes at two years after the injury compared with those after nonoperative management., Methods: Patients at four trauma centers were randomized to operative or nonoperative care. A standard protocol, involving a lateral approach and rigid internal fixation, was used for operative care. Nonoperative treatment involved no attempt at closed reduction, and the patients were treated only with ice, elevation, and rest. All fractures were classified, and the quality of the reduction was measured. Validated outcome measures included the Short Form-36 (SF-36, a general health survey) and a visual analog scale (a disease-specific scale)., Results: Between April 1991 and December 1997, 512 patients with a calcaneal fracture were treated. Of those patients, 424 with 471 displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures were enrolled in the study. Three hundred and nine patients (73%) were followed and assessed for a minimum of two years and a maximum of eight years of follow-up. The outcomes after nonoperative treatment were not found to be different from those after operative treatment; the score on the SF-36 was 64.7 and 68.7, respectively (p = 0.13), and the score on the visual analog scale was 64.3 and 68.6, respectively (p = 0.12). However, the patients who were not receiving Workers' Compensation and were managed operatively had significantly higher satisfaction scores (p = 0.001). Women who were managed operatively scored significantly higher on the SF-36 than did women who were managed nonoperatively (p = 0.015). Patients who were not receiving Workers' Compensation and were younger (less than twenty-nine years old), had a moderately lower Böhler angle (0 degrees to 14 degrees ), a comminuted fracture, a light workload, or an anatomic reduction or a step-off of < or =2 mm after surgical reduction (p = 0.04) scored significantly higher on the scoring scales after surgery compared with those who were treated nonoperatively., Conclusions: Without stratification of the groups, the functional results after nonoperative care of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures were equivalent to those after operative care. However, after unmasking the data by removal of the patients who were receiving Workers' Compensation, the outcomes were significantly better in some groups of surgically treated patients.

Percutaneous internal fixation of scaphoid fractures allows for more predictable union and less morbidity than cast treatment or open internal fixation. A headless cannulated compression screw (standard Acutrak) is implanted by way of a dorsal percutaneous approach with the aid of fluoroscopy and arthroscopy to confirm screw position and fracture reduction. This technique is indicated in the correction of acute proximal pole fractures, acute waist fractures, and delayed unions that are not associated with avascular necrosis or collapse. The details of this technique are reviewed. In a consecutive series of twenty-seven fractures (seventeen waist fractures and ten proximal pole fractures) treated with arthroscopically assisted dorsal percutaneous fixation, computed tomographic scanning confirmed 100% union at an average of twelve weeks. Eighteen fractures were treated within one month after the injury, and nine were treated more than one month after the injury. In this series, the fractures that were treated early (less than one month after the injury) healed more quickly than those treated later.

Background: From 1989 to 1997, 1507 fractures of the shaft of the femur were treated with intramedullary nailing at The R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. Fifty-nine (4 percent) of those fractures were treated with early external fixation followed by planned conversion to intramedullary nail fixation. This two-stage stabilization protocol was selected for patients who were critically ill and poor candidates for an immediate intramedullary procedure or who required expedient femoral fixation followed by repair of an ipsilateral vascular injury. The purpose of the current investigation was to determine whether this protocol is an appropriate alternative for the management of fractures of the femur in patients who are poor candidates for immediate intramedullary nailing., Methods: Fifty-four multiply injured patients with a total of fifty-nine fractures of the shaft of the femur treated with external fixation followed by planned conversion to intramedullary nail fixation were evaluated in a retrospective review to gather demographic, injury, management, and fracture-healing data for analysis., Results: The average Injury Severity Score for the fifty-four patients was 29 (range, 13 to 43); the average Glasgow Coma Scale score was 11 (range, 3 to 15). Most patients (forty-four) had additional orthopaedic injuries (average, three; range, zero to eight), and associated injuries such as severe brain injury, solid-organ rupture, chest trauma, and aortic tears were common. Forty fractures were closed, and nineteen fractures were open. According to the system of Gustilo and Anderson, three of the open fractures were type II, eight were type IIIA, and eight were type IIIC. Intramedullary nailing was delayed secondary to medical instability in forty-six patients and secondary to vascular injury in eight. All fractures of the shaft of the femur were stabilized with a unilateral external fixator within the first twenty-four hours after the injury; the average duration of the procedure was thirty minutes. The duration of external fixation averaged seven days (range, one to forty-nine days) before the fixation with the static interlocked intramedullary nail. Forty-nine of the nailing procedures were antegrade, and ten were retrograde. For fifty-five of the fifty-nine fractures, the external fixation was converted to intramedullary nail fixation in a one-stage procedure. The other four fractures were associated with draining pin sites, and skeletal traction to allow pin-site healing was used for an average of ten days (range, eight to fifteen days) after fixator removal and before intramedullary nailing. Follow-up averaged twelve months (range, six to eighty-seven months). Of the fifty-eight fractures available for follow-up until union, fifty-six (97 percent) healed within six months. There were three major complications: one patient died from a pulmonary embolism before union, one patient had a refractory infected nonunion, and one patient had a nonunion with nail failure, which was successfully treated with retrograde exchange nailing. The infection rate was 1.7 percent. Four other patients required a minor reoperation: two were managed with manipulation under anesthesia because of knee stiffness, and two underwent derotation and relocking of the nail because of rotational malalignment. The rate of unplanned reoperations was 11 percent. The average range of motion of the knee was 107 degrees (range, 60 to 140 degrees)., Conclusions: We concluded that immediate external fixation followed by early closed intramedullary nailing is a safe treatment method for fractures of the shaft of the femur in selected multiply injured patients.

We reviewed the literature to determine the clinical outcomes of the treatment of closed fractures of the tibial shaft with immobilization in a cast, open reduction with internal fixation, or fixation with an intramedullary rod. We reviewed 2372 reports of comparative trials and uncontrolled studies of series of patients published between 1966 and 1993. Nineteen reports, involving six controlled trials and twenty-seven groups of patients, met our inclusion criteria. A structured questionnaire was used to assess the quality of the literature in terms of the experimental design and the method of assessment of outcome. Outcomes from controlled trials were summarized with odds ratios and risk differences, and outcomes from case series were summarized by the medians of the reported results. The studies that were reviewed generally had few subjects and were poorly designed. The comparative trials showed treatment with a cast to be associated with a lower rate of superficial infection than open reduction and internal fixation (mean difference, -5.81 per cent; p = 0.02) and open reduction and internal fixation to be associated with a higher rate of union by twenty weeks than treatment with a cast (mean difference, -18.07 per cent; p = 0.008). There were no other significant associations. There were insufficient data for us to evaluate any aspect of functional status, level of pain, or other patient-reported outcomes of any of the methods of treatment. The results of the present review suggest that the data from the published literature are inadequate for decision-making with regard to the treatment of closed fractures of the tibia.

A study of ninety-nine patients who had a unilateral, displaced, isolated closed fracture of the tibial shaft was performed to determine the effect of the type of treatment on the clinical outcome. Forty-seven patients were managed with closed intramedullary nailing with reaming, and fifty-two were managed with closed reduction and a cast. The two groups were comparable with regard to the ages of the patients, the locations and amounts of displacement of the fractures, and the number of patients who had a history of smoking. The time to union was shorter in the patients who had been managed with intramedullary nailing than in those who had been managed with a cast (mean, eighteen compared with twenty-six weeks; p = 0.02). A non-union occurred in one patient (2 per cent) who had been managed with nailing and in five patients (10 per cent) who had been managed with a cast. There were no infections in either group. Removal of the nail was performed electively in twenty-six patients. Twenty-five patients who had been managed with nailing and twenty-five who had been managed with a cast were followed for a mean of 4.4 years. With use of the Iowa Knee Evaluation and the Ankle-Evaluation Rating System, the patients who had had nailing had mean scores of 96 points (range, 68 to 100 points) and 97 points (range, 74 to 100 points) for the knee and the ankle, respectively, compared with 89 points (range, 62 to 100 points) and 84 points (range, 62 to 100 points) for those who had been managed with a cast (p < 0.05). Administration of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 Health Survey to the twenty-five matched pairs of patients yielded scores that were significantly better after nailing than after treatment with a cast (a mean of 85 points [range, 27 to 99 points] compared with a mean of 74 points [range, 20 to 97 points]; p < 0.05). We concluded that the treatment of displaced closed fractures of the tibial shaft with closed intramedullary nailing with reaming provides functional results that are superior to those obtained with use of a cast.

One hundred and fifty-two patients who had 154 closed fractures of the shaft of the tibia were prospectively randomized to management with interlocking intramedullary nailing either with or without reaming. Thirteen patients who had been randomized to treatment without reaming were switched to the group that had reaming because of technical reasons; these patients were excluded from the analysis of the results. An additional five patients were lost to follow-up. Thus, seventy-two patients (seventy-three fractures) who had been managed with nailing with reaming and sixty-three patients (sixty-three fractures) who had been managed with nailing without reaming were available for follow-up at an average of twelve months (range, three to thirty-three months) postoperatively. The two groups were similar with regard to demographics and the configurations of the fractures. The average total duration of the procedures performed without reaming was eleven minutes shorter than that of the procedures done with reaming (p = 0.0013). The duration of fluoroscopy was not significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.35, Mann-Whitney test). The average estimated blood loss was identical for the two groups. Seventy fractures (96 per cent) that were treated with nailing with reaming and fifty-six (89 per cent) that were treated with nailing without reaming united without the need for an additional operation (p = 0.19). Because of the small sample size, the study has insufficient power (34.7 per cent) to detect this difference if it is real. There was only one deep infection, which developed after nailing without reaming. The nail fractured after one procedure with reaming. A screw fractured after two procedures with reaming and after ten without reaming (p = 0.012); multiple screws fractured after three procedures in the latter group. Malunion occurred after three nailing procedures with reaming and after two without reaming. Four malunions were of very proximal fractures and one was of a very distal fracture. Seventeen screws and twenty-four nails were removed after nailing with reaming, and twenty screws and nineteen nails were removed after nailing without reaming; neither of these prevalences was significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.27 and 0.89; chi-square test). We concluded that there are no major advantages to nailing without reaming as compared with nailing with reaming for the treatment of closed fractures of the shaft of the tibia. There was a higher prevalence of delayed union and breakage of screws after nailing without reaming.

A study was done of twelve patients (seven boys and five girls) who, because of multiple injuries or a head injury, had been managed with compression plating of a unilateral or bilateral femoral-shaft fracture at a level-I trauma center from 1986 through 1990. The patients had a total of fifteen fractures. The average age at the time of the injuries was eight years (range, five years to nine years and eleven months). There were nine closed fractures and six open fractures; three of the open fractures were Grade I; two, Grade II; and one, Grade IIIA, according to the criteria of Gustilo et al. Each patient had an average of three associated injuries. All fifteen fractures had healed clinically and radiographically at an average of eight weeks (range, six to twelve weeks) after the operation. There were no infections. Anatomical alignment was obtained in fourteen limbs. One fracture healed with 13 degrees of anterior angulation. The compression plates were removed at an average of ten months (range, three to twenty-four months) after the index operation. At the latest follow-up evaluation (average, twenty-six months; range, eleven to fifty-seven months), no patient had restriction of activities due to the femoral fracture. Scanograms revealed overgrowth of the injured femur averaging 0.9 centimeter (range, 0.3 to 1.4 centimeters) in seven patients who had an uninjured contralateral femur. We believe that plate fixation of the femur is a good treatment option for children who have a femoral shaft fracture and a major head injury or multiple injuries, or both.

A prospective, randomized trial was undertaken to determine the rate of complications after the use of a tourniquet during open reduction and internal fixation of simple, closed fractures of the distal part of the fibula. Forty patients were operated on with use of a tourniquet (Group 1) and forty patients, without use of a tourniquet (Group 2). The average duration of the operation was significantly different between the two groups (41 +/- 9 minutes for Group 1 compared with 53 +/- 12 minutes for Group 2 [p = 0.026]). There were more complications in the patients in Group 1, two of whom had an isolated deep-vein thrombosis of the calf. The wound was possibly infected in eleven patients (seven in Group 1 and four in Group 2 [p < 0.05]) and frankly infected in three patients, all in Group 1 (p < 0.05). The plaster-of-Paris cast needed to be changed in three patients from Group 1. The patients in Group 1 returned to work an average of one week later than those in Group 2. The mean duration of follow-up was eighteen months (range, nine to thirty-two months). Given the lower prevalence of postoperative complications and the shorter time to recovery for the patients in Group 2, we believe that it is justified not to use a tourniquet in the operative treatment of simple, isolated fibular fractures.

Thirty-three patients who had a maligned non-union of the tibial diaphysis were treated by limited open exposure, indirect reduction with a femoral distractor, tension-band plating, lag-screw fixation, and autogenous bone-grafting. The time from the injury to treatment of the non-union averaged twenty-nine months. Twenty-two of the fractures were originally open and sixteen fractures had had a previous infection before treatment of the non-union. The non-unions were classified as hypertrophic in eight patients, oligotrophic in eighteen, and atrophic in seven. All had severe deformity, or the nature or level of the non-union, or both, precluded intramedullary nailing as a treatment option. All thirty-three non-unions healed at an average of four months; the average length of follow-up was nineteen months. The deformity was corrected, within acceptable limits, in thirty-two of the patients. Full motion of the knee was achieved in twenty-nine patients and of the ankle, in eighteen. Complications included four instances of superficial skin breakdowns, one deep infection, and one fracture of the plate. For non-unions of the tibial diaphysis with deformity that are not amenable to intramedullary nailing, the techniques of limited exposure, indirect reduction, tension-band plating, and bone-grafting can yield excellent anatomical and functional results.

A review of the data on 684 fractures of the femur that had been treated with intramedullary nailing led to the identification of twenty-three patients who had had a fracture of the shaft of the femur with an accompanying ipsilateral supracondylar fracture (twelve patients, group I) or a concomitant ipsilateral intercondylar fracture (eleven patients, group II). The group-I fractures had been treated with interlocking nailing without supplemental fixation. In group II, ten fractures were stabilized with interlocking nailing and supplemental screw fixation and one, with interlocking nailing and a supplemental plate and screws. The average time to union for all fractures was nineteen weeks (range, twelve to thirty-six weeks), and the average duration of clinical and radiographic follow-up was thirty months (range, nine to fifty-nine months). In group I, alignment of the femur was within 5 degrees of normal in ten of the twelve fractures. In group II, seven intra-articular fractures healed in anatomical alignment, three had slight articular displacement (1.0 to 3.0 millimeters), and one had displacement of more than 3.0 millimeters. The average range of motion of the knee at the most recent follow-up was 0 to 120 degrees in group I and 0 to 115 degrees in group II. Two patients (both in group II) needed a reoperation for a previously unrecognized fracture of a femoral condyle in the coronal plane; post-traumatic arthritis developed in both. No patient in either group had loss of fixation or failure of the implant. We concluded that ipsilateral diaphyseal, supracondylar, and intercondylar fractures of the femur can be adequately stabilized with interlocking nailing and supplemental intercondylar screw fixation. The presence of a fracture in the coronal plane of a femoral condyle (AO type-B3 and type-C3 injuries) is a relative contraindication to the use of this technique.

Thirty adults who had a severely comminuted intra-articular closed fracture of the distal part of the radius were treated by closed reduction and AO external fixation consisting of a converging-pin configuration with a double row of connecting bars. The patients were followed for an average of 2.6 years (range, two to four years). Twenty-seven patients had an excellent result; two, a good result; and one, a poor result, on the basis of pain, motion, strength, and radiographic appearance. Complications were rare, and there was no loss of fixation of the pins. The average grip strength was 92 per cent of normal. Motion of the wrist and rotation of the forearm averaged more than 90 per cent of that of the normal side. Carpal height was used as an indicator of distraction force produced by the fixator. There was an average increase in carpal height of four millimeters initially and 3.7 millimeters immediately before removal of the fixator, indicating near-constant distraction throughout the treatment. Radial length was well maintained, with shortening averaging less than one millimeter. The converging pins of the AO fixator prevent loosening, thereby diminishing the risks of infection, loss of reduction of the fracture, and breakage of the pins. This geometry of the pins allows the use of smaller-diameter (2.5-millimeter) pins and provides rigid fixation, even in osteoporotic bone.

At the Campbell Clinic and City of Memphis Hospital from 1960 to 1970, 244 patients (216 with closed and twenty-eight with open fractures) had 330 acute diaphyseal fractures of the radius and ulna which were treated with ASIF compression plates and followed for from four months to nine years. One hundred and twelve patients had fractures of both bones of the forearm; fifty, single fractures of the ulna; and eighty-two, single fractures of the radius. In all, 193 fractures of the radius and 137 fractures of the ulna were treated by compression plating. Sixty-three patients (25.9 per cent) with severely comminuted fractures also had iliac-bone grafts. The over-all rate of union for the radius was 97.9 per cent and for the ulna, 96.3 per cent. ASIF compression plates, therefore, provided a successful method for obtaining union and restoring optimum function after acute diaphyseal fractures of the forearm.

In this paper we document seventy fractures of the humeral shaft that were treated by intramedullary fixation between 1970 and 1981. Complications developed in forty-seven (67 per cent) of the fractures, and forty-five (64 per cent) required at least one additional operative procedure. Of the sixty fractures that were internally fixed within six weeks after injury, nine (15 per cent) had a delayed union and five (8.3 per cent) had a non-union, two of which persisted despite subsequent surgery. Three of the ten fractures that were internally fixed more than six weeks after injury never united despite additional procedures that were done to secure union. Delayed union and non-union were more common in open fractures (33 per cent) than in closed fractures (21 per cent), and with open reduction (39 per cent) than with closed or so-called semi-open reduction (9 per cent). Deep infection occurred in three (5 per cent) of the fractures and was more common in open (17 per cent) than in closed fractures (2 per cent). One of the three open fractures that were treated by immediate fixation became infected, as compared with only one of the nine open fractures treated by delayed fixation. Painful adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder developed in thirty-four (56 per cent) of the patients who had fractures treated with distally directed pins, but motion of the elbow was not restricted in the nine patients with fractures treated with proximally directed pins.

A retrospective study was done of eighty-seven patients who had 129 diaphyseal fractures of either the radius or the ulna, or both, and who were treated with fixation using an AO dynamic-compression plate. Open fractures were internally fixed primarily, and both comminuted and open fractures routinely had bone-grafting. Ninety-eight per cent of the fractures united, and 92 per cent of the patients achieved an excellent or satisfactory functional result. The rate of infection was 2.3 per cent. Refracture occurred after removal of a 4.5-millimeter dynamic-compression plate in two patients, but there were no refractures after removal of a 3.5-millimeter plate. The 3.5-millimeter-plate system gave excellent results in patients who had a fracture of the forearm, and it minimized the risk of refracture. Our results demonstrated that immediate plate fixation of an open fracture of the forearm, with a low rate of complications, is possible.

A series of forty-four consecutive tibial diaphyseal fractures with non-unions were treated over a thirteen-year period (1965 to 1978). The majority of these injuries were complicated by severe soft-tissue damage, segmental bone loss, or infection, and multiple previous operative attempts had been made to obtain union. Cortical cancellous bone grafts were inserted posterolaterally and union was obtained in all but one fracture. Two bone-grafting procedures each were needed in three patients. Good to excellent functional results were obtained in forty-three of the forty-four involved extremities.

Ninety-two fractures of the femoral shaft in eighty-five patients were followed after treatment with the Brooker-Wills distal locking intramedullary nail. Twenty-one (22.8 per cent) of the fractures were open and seventy-one (77.2 per cent) were closed; 84.8 per cent of the fractures were comminuted. All but one fracture united, in a mean time of 4.4 months. Four fractures healed with mild angulation, and three had shortening of more than one but less than two centimeters. Significant rotatory deformities did not occur. No patient required postoperative traction or external stabilization, and all but five patients regained a normal range of motion of the ipsilateral hip and knee. There were intraoperative technical problems in eleven patients (12.0 per cent) and postoperative complications in eighteen patients (19.6 per cent), including fourteen patients (15.2 per cent) with pulmonary emboli, infection, or heterotopic bone at the site of the insertion of the nail. Five patients (5.4 per cent) had postoperative complications that were directly related to the proximal and distal fixation of the nail. There was one non-union (1.1 per cent). No problems were encountered with removal of the nail. The Brooker-Wills distal locking intramedullary nail proved to be an effective device for the stabilization of fractures of the femoral shaft. The use of this modified Küntscher nail with both proximal and distal fixation has been successful in preventing clinically significant femoral angulation, malrotation, and shortening and has allowed early mobilization of the patient.

We treated 112 fractures of the tibia by manipulative reduction, reaming of the medullary canal, and fixation of the fracture fragments with an intramedullary nail. Seventy-six of the fractures were acute, and eight of these were second or third-degree open fractures. The other thirty-six fractures had a non-union, osteotomy for malunion, or failure of other types of treatment. Follow-up of 100 fractures showed union in all but one, which was in a drug abuser who had an amputation due to infection. The main complication was infection, which was successfully treated in six of seven fractures. The method of treatment, employing either closed or open technique and recently making use of interlocking bolts to stabilize one or both principal fracture fragments on the nail, is an excellent one for unstable acute fractures and for secondary procedures in fractures that are not associated with infection. The infection rate was increased with the open surgical technique. The few contraindications to its use are described.

Seventeen patients who had a closed fracture of the radial head that was not associated with a dislocation of the elbow or another injury were evaluated eight to forty-six years after resection of the radial head. Few patients complained of even mild, intermittent pain. The ranges of motion of the wrist and elbow were nearly normal, but pronation and supination were decreased by an average of 7 and 15 degrees, respectively. Cybex testing showed losses of strength in pronation and supination of approximately 5 and 11 per cent, respectively. The ulnar variance became increasingly positive by an average of approximately two millimeters, and cubitus valgus increased an average of 9 degrees. These excellent results did not appear to deteriorate over time. In one patient a radio-ulnar synostosis developed.

Diaphyseal fractures of the distal third of the radius that are associated with disruption of the distal radio-ulnar joint accounted for eighty-four (6.8 per cent) of 1236 fractures in the forearm that were treated during a five-year period at the Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center. Thirty-six closed Galeazzi fractures, twenty-eight in male and eight in female patients, were followed for 1.5 to seven years after treatment using standard AO-compression plates with four to seven holes. Complications included seven injuries to the sensory or dorsal interosseous branch of the radial nerve, two infections, two non-unions, two re-fractures after plate removal, and shortening of the radius of five millimeters in one patient. The complication rate was 39 per cent. The average grip strength at follow-up was 71 per cent of the calculated normal value. The loss of strength was not related to use of a volar or dorsal surgical approach, the patient's age, or a delay of surgery for more than ten days after injury. The average loss of grip strength in the seven upper extremities with restricted motion of the wrist and forearm was 48 per cent, compared with an average loss of 29 per cent in the whole group. Of the twelve patients who were operated on more than ten days after injury, six had loss of motion at follow-up, compared with three who had such a loss among the twenty-four patients who were operated on within ten days after injury.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Sixteen fractures of the diaphysis of the femur were nailed according to the Ender technique. Fifteen of these were of types for which Küntscher nailing was contraindicated. In five of the injuries a comminuted fracture of the femoral shaft was present, associated with a fracture of the proximal end of the femur. Most of the nailings were done closed. The time of surgery was short and the blood loss, small. All of the fractures healed and no major postoperative problems were noted.

A retrospective study was undertaken of twenty patients with a Mason type-II and sixteen patients with a Mason type-III closed fracture of the radial head who had excision of the radial head. The average length of follow-up was 16.4 years (range, three to twenty-seven years) and the average age of the patients at operation was forty-two years (range, eighteen to seventy-five years). Thirty-one patients (86 per cent) were satisfied with the results, and thirty-four (94 per cent) returned to their preoperative occupations. Only three patients lost 30 degrees or more of flexion of the elbow or of pronation or supination of the forearm. A measurable proximal migration of the radius of more than one millimeter was found in eight patients (22 per cent), but no harmful effects of this were found. All of the patients showed osteoarthritic changes on roentgenograms of the elbow that had been operated on, but these did not affect the functional scoring. According to the functional classification that we used, thirty-three (92 per cent) of the patients were able to function satisfactorily in activities of daily living and only three were not. We concluded that if, for any reason, operative treatment is undertaken for these fractures, good functional results can be expected. Nevertheless, because the results of non-operative treatment of Mason type-II fractures, as reported in the literature, have been almost identical to ours, we have adopted a non-operative approach in the last few years.